Any advice on shipping a heavy tube amp?
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disassembled
Well-known member
How big? Head? Combo?
You have to be careful that the box won't flex under stress (like getting dropped or thrown around) and that the amp doesn't move inside the box. If the amp is able to move then it probably will gain enough momentum to break the box or cause damage to itself. Double boxing will help keep it looking cosmestically good during light impacts.
Making sure everything is packed tightly has kept everything i've shipping (guitars, amps, etc) arriving just as I had it.
Greg
You have to be careful that the box won't flex under stress (like getting dropped or thrown around) and that the amp doesn't move inside the box. If the amp is able to move then it probably will gain enough momentum to break the box or cause damage to itself. Double boxing will help keep it looking cosmestically good during light impacts.
Making sure everything is packed tightly has kept everything i've shipping (guitars, amps, etc) arriving just as I had it.
Greg
Definitely pull the power tubes and wrap them up. You pretty much want to pack it up so that you can drop kick it down a set of stairs and not have the amp break..... because that is exactly what UPS is going to do to it.
I should have photographed my F-50 when I got it (bought through e-bay). That guy did a fan-fu@#@#-tastic job of packing it up. Wrapped it in plastic, then bubble wrapped, then foam, then peanuts, 2 boxes etc..
I should have photographed my F-50 when I got it (bought through e-bay). That guy did a fan-fu@#@#-tastic job of packing it up. Wrapped it in plastic, then bubble wrapped, then foam, then peanuts, 2 boxes etc..
Brewski
Well-known member
Make sure that you wrap it in plastic, to keep packing material out of it. I had one come in from E-bay, and I had to spend 45 minutes vaccuuming the popcorn out of it. That pretty much sucked.
If you are shipping it to yourself, even one of those cheap flight cases will offer a little more protection, but then make sure that you put it inside of another box and put packing material around it.
Otherwise pack it like mentioned above.
If you are shipping it to yourself, even one of those cheap flight cases will offer a little more protection, but then make sure that you put it inside of another box and put packing material around it.
Otherwise pack it like mentioned above.
Elpelotero
Well-known member
#1 piece of advice I can give is to support all 4 corners with pieces of dense styrofoam that fit around the corners. YOU pack the amp if you know how you want it to go. If you don't know how to do it, then take it to Fed Ex (IMO fedex is a lot better at handling boxes than UPS. less horror stories, and a little cheaper too)
lockbody
Well-known member
When it's packed and taped, if you can shake the box and feel the amp move or shift then it's not packed good enough.
lesterpaul
Well-known member
yessir,and If you are in good with a local dealer,they sometimes have just what you need in terms of boxes,etc..I got thru their dumpsters all the time!
mesanomad100
Well-known member
lesterpaul said:
In the quest to find a new les paul,perhaps one has been thrown out by accident and you just happen to stumble across it!!! 8)
Ivabiggun
Member
Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth. I like to put either thick cardboard or hardboard, the brown stuff, luan plywood is good also, over the speaker grill and across the back. Office max has strapping kits for about $6.00 that you can use to secure this aroung the amp. Wrap with small bubble wrap, then large bubble wrap.
Get a box about two inches larger then the amp dimensions, and close the flaps on the bottom. Try to make it perfectly square as that will help provide structural integrity to the box. FWIW, I use 3M Super 77 spray adhesive to glue the top and bottom flaps of the box, just for a little extra strength. Then using strapping tape, I like 3M brand, put one strip across the box 90 degrees to the seam of the flaps. Be sure to put about 3 to 4 inches of tape on the side. Then place tape across the seam of the flaps. Now go along the edge of the box where the side of the flaps are and place a strip across the length of the box, corner to corner.
Before you set the amp in, place some peanuts on the bottom. at least 2 to 2 inches.Set the amp inside, being carefull not to pop the side seam on the box. Take a bag of peanuts and shake them into the box. Bending the sides out slightly to allow peanuts to fill all the spaces between the wrap and the box sides. Place enough peanuts on the top of the amp so that when you close the top flaps you will have to press the down a little. If the flaps can be pushed down you need more packing material. This will insure that the amp will not move around. Now, close the top flaps the same as you did the bottom.
Get a second box that is at least 2 or more inches larger in all dimensions. Follow the same procedure making sure the inner box cannot move. You can expect to spend some money doing this. I packed a Blue Angel that is listed on this board in the same manner, and I spent about $60.00 in materials, and several hours of time. If you had it packed it would probably be at least that much if not more.
This is a lot of work, but you will find it will avoid many problems down the road.
Cheers,
Ivabiggun
Get a box about two inches larger then the amp dimensions, and close the flaps on the bottom. Try to make it perfectly square as that will help provide structural integrity to the box. FWIW, I use 3M Super 77 spray adhesive to glue the top and bottom flaps of the box, just for a little extra strength. Then using strapping tape, I like 3M brand, put one strip across the box 90 degrees to the seam of the flaps. Be sure to put about 3 to 4 inches of tape on the side. Then place tape across the seam of the flaps. Now go along the edge of the box where the side of the flaps are and place a strip across the length of the box, corner to corner.
Before you set the amp in, place some peanuts on the bottom. at least 2 to 2 inches.Set the amp inside, being carefull not to pop the side seam on the box. Take a bag of peanuts and shake them into the box. Bending the sides out slightly to allow peanuts to fill all the spaces between the wrap and the box sides. Place enough peanuts on the top of the amp so that when you close the top flaps you will have to press the down a little. If the flaps can be pushed down you need more packing material. This will insure that the amp will not move around. Now, close the top flaps the same as you did the bottom.
Get a second box that is at least 2 or more inches larger in all dimensions. Follow the same procedure making sure the inner box cannot move. You can expect to spend some money doing this. I packed a Blue Angel that is listed on this board in the same manner, and I spent about $60.00 in materials, and several hours of time. If you had it packed it would probably be at least that much if not more.
This is a lot of work, but you will find it will avoid many problems down the road.
Cheers,
Ivabiggun
Rocco Stiletto
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Another option (and can be costly) is to have your local shipper pack the amp. This way, you're covered under the insurance. Collecting a claim can be tricky if packed by the customer.
Definitely do a box within a box method. Pack the amp in a box that gives the amp very little room to wiggle around. Pack this box inside a larger box that has styrofoam supports for all sides/corners, fill completely with densely packed bubble wrap.
Wrap each tube in bubble wrap once removed from the amp and ship the tubes in a totally seperate box that ships seperately.
Pack it for war... or else you'll be sorry.
Wrap each tube in bubble wrap once removed from the amp and ship the tubes in a totally seperate box that ships seperately.
Pack it for war... or else you'll be sorry.
LSCMan
Well-known member
I found a 4'X8'X1" sheet of styrofoam at Lowe's that was slightly damaged for $2. I put almost the whole thing in the outer box when I sold my Stang Ray. The guy gave me positive feedback that said 'best packer ever!' 
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